Alcohol is easy to obtain, socially acceptable and gives a quick result in tension reduction. A drink is also symbolic. It’s a way of separating the working day from leisure time. If that glass of wine or beer regularly increases you could end up making your stress worse. A little of what you fancy is fine and may even be beneficial. But the more heavily and regularly people drink alcohol the more they start to depend on it and the more likely their anxiety, depression and other mental health problems are set to increase. Getting drunk is really a form of avoidance and doesn’t deal with the issues that are causing the stress.